rasburyberet

I think one of my fish is in trouble. I have a new 10gal tank, 3 days old, used biospira and per strip test (which I hear is not accurate, but all I have) says my levels are good (except for high ph, but read article that says that really doesn't matter?). I have two tiger barbs, the small one ate the 2nd day, but won't eat today and is hanging in one place or another up high and I think is losing is orange color!!! He is just swimming in one place sometimes pointed down. I hate to see the little guy suffer and don't want to kill him!

I also read this fish do better in schools of 6 but a) my tank shouldn't hold that many and b) I read to only add a couple fish at a time, every two weeks.......so which is better add that kind of fish as a group, or just slowing keep adding?

Thank you!!!!

janoue

Could be stressed. Did you add stress coat to the water? I always use stress coat when adding new fish and a little when i do the water change. It just replaces the slime coat a fish looses when it gets a little stressed. A little bit of stress coat goes a long way!

angelfish220

Stress coat is good. can he go down if hes scared? If not might be a swim bladder problem. I suggest that you put this on the disease board they would know better.

maddygirrl

hmm... sounds like you haven't cycled the tank properly and the fish have been put under stress by the high amonia/nitrate/nitrite conditions

susitna-flower

What is the temperature of the water?

Using Bio-spira was a very good start. It should keep your tank from crashing due to being uncycled, especially with only 2 fish and only 3 days in the tank. It doesn't however substitute for the possibility that the fish just go through stress when they leave one tank and go to another. Especially in the winter, it is easy to let them chill off too much during transport.

How did you acclimate them to your tank?

lilsoccakid

would reccomend replacing ur current water conditioner with "prime", which detoxifies ammonia,nitrite and nitrate, along with the cholorine and chloramine. the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are still in the tank, they are just turned into a non-toxic form.

COBettaCouple

Do you have an air stone running in the tank? That may help and I'd agree on treating your tap water with Prime. What tap water conditioner did you use on the water before adding the prime?

rasburyberet

He can swim down and at times will swim around, but it still hanging around this morning. Water temp is good, around 79degrees right now and acclimated them by floating them for a while (20 minutes or so) then added a little of my tank water in bag, floated some more, added a little more water, let them sit, then I moved into the tank. They floated in the bag for a good 45 minutes during the process. No air stone running as of now. I will get the Prime today and is there a brand of test that anyone recommends? Thank you so much for the help!

Lucy

Most here recommend the API Master Test Kit. Good Luck with your fish.
I can finally answer a question rather than ask a million of them. lol

sjlchgo

If you use prime you will definitely need to add an air stone. Products like that usually lower the oxygen levels. I bet adding more oxygen would help. Swimming at the top is sometimes an indication of a lack of air(gulping). It's also a non toxic possible solution. Good luck.

COBettaCouple

The API master freshwater kit is what we use too.